Iran fuel may be part of U.S.-funded Afghan supply deals: report

DUBAI (Reuters) - Fuel purchases made for Afghan security forces using U.S. government funds may have included Iranian petroleum products in violation of U.S. sanctions, investigators said in a report published late on Wednesday.

Afghanistan relies heavily on imported fuel and Iran, Russia, and Turkmenistan are the leading countries of origin, the report by the U.S. Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) says.

But the watchdog said it could not rule out the possibility of sanctions violations in purchases for the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) that are financed by the U.S. taxpayer.

"Despite actions taken by the Department of Defense to prevent the purchase of Iranian fuel with U.S. funds, risks remain that U.S. economic sanctions could be violated," Special Inspector General John Sopko said in the report.

U.S. sanctions intended to starve oil-export dependent Tehran of funds for its disputed nuclear program ban nearly all U.S. trade with Iran, including financing Iranian petroleum product purchases.

Since December Sigar, created by Congress to oversee reconstruction activities in Afghanistan, has investigated allegations of potential sanctions violations in fuel purchasing for the ANSF.

TIGHTENING CONTROLS

It concludes that while the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) has made some progress in tightening controls over fuel sourcing for Afghan security services since November, there remains a risk that U.S. taxpayer dollars could continue to flow to Iran.

"DOD is unable to determine if any of the $1.1 billion in fuel purchased for the Afghan National Army (ANA) between fiscal year 2007 and 2012 came from Iran, in violation of U.S. economic sanctions," Sopko said in his report to U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

The multinational Combined Security Transition Command (CSTC-A) currently buys fuel - under contracts administered by the U.S. Central Command's Joint Theater Support Contracting Command (CJTSCC) - for Afghan forces from eight separate Afghan importers.

Between 2007 and November 2012, those vendors were not required to provide information on their sources, or certify that their fuel purchases complied with U.S. sanctions on trade with Iran, the report says.

Since late 2012, they have been required to sign contracts that prohibit purchases of supplies from Iran and to certify the origin of the fuel.

BLENDED FUEL

Earlier this month, CJTSCC provided investigators with certificates from four of the eight vendors which said Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan were the "main sources" of fuel they delivered. But it remains unclear whether there is a system to verify the fuel's origin, Sigar said.

Fuel imported from Russia and Turkmenistan is usually blended and the U.S. Embassy in Kabul told Sigar it is possible that fuel blended in Turkmenistan could contain Iranian fuel.

"It is important that adequate measures are in place to test the validity of the certifications and ensure that subcontractors are abiding by the prohibitions regarding Iranian fuel," Sopko said in his concluding remarks.

Washington may need to increase safeguards on its direct assistance funding ? expected to exceed $1 billion for ANSF fuel from 2013-2018 ? to prevent funds from reaching Iran, he said.

At the end of 2011, Kabul and Tehran signed a trade deal allowing the Afghan government and private sector to buy about 308 million gallons of fuel a year from Iran.

The U.S. Forces-Afghanistan Task Force 2010 is still trying to establish whether any of the eight vendors supplying Afghan security services through the U.S. government contracting system has registered to import fuel from Iran under the terms of that trade deal, the report notes.

For the full report click:

http://www.sigar.mil/pdf/alerts/2013-01-30-alert-sp-13-2.pdf

(Reporting by Daniel Fineren)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/iran-fuel-may-part-u-funded-afghan-supply-113544293.html

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Bill Gates: Steve Jobs 'Was Always Cooler Than Me' - Business Insider

Business Insider

Bill Gates and Stephen Colbert

?

Bill Gates just braved an interview with Stephen Colbert on the "Colbert Report" where he was forced to gracefully admit that he was never as cool as Steve Jobs.

Here's how it went down:

Colbert: People say "what a cool guy, what a cool guy Steve Jobs was." You are out there saving the world and yet, you don't have the cool factor, no offense, not the same turtleneck cool factor. Does it ever bug you that you are out there saving the world and yet he has the memories a cool guy?

Gates: He was always cooler than me.

Colbert: Yeah?

Gates: Yeah.

Colbert: Maybe saving the world will get cool.

Gates: It's ok.

Colbert: Really? You don't care?

Gates: No. He was brilliant. He had his own style, his own approach and mine is a little geekier than his was.

Gates, who is still chairman of Microsoft but left day-to-day operations in 2008, also admitted that he misses the old days at Microsoft. He said that building the world's most powerful software company was cool enough for him.

"Yes, I miss the intensity. It was?phenomenally fun. For my 20's 30's 40's, it was the coolest thing I've ever done," Gates said.

Then again, Gates has no need to be jealous of Jobs or anyone else. While he's no longer the richest man in the world, he is $7 billion wealthier than he was a year ago.

Don't miss: How 15 Tech Tycoons Spend Their Fortunes

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/bill-gates-steve-jobs-was-always-cooler-than-me-2013-1

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Facebook earnings beat expectations

Social media giant Facebook reported earnings and revenue that beat expectations on Wednesday but its operating margin fell sharply.

The stock bobbed between positive and negative in after-hours trading following the earnings announcement. (Click here to get the latest quotes for Facebook.)

During the fourth quarter, net income fell sharply to $64 million from $302 million in the year-ago quarter.

Excluding share-based compensation and related payroll tax expenses, and income tax adjustments, Facebook's profit was $426 million, or 17 cents per share, compared to $360 million for the same quarter in the prior year.

Revenue increased to $1.59 billion from the $1.13 billion a year ago it reported in its regulatory filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission before the company's initial public offering in May 2012.

During the quarter, mobile revenue, a closely watched figure, represented approximately 23 percent of advertising revenue, up from about 14 percent of advertising revenue in the third quarter of 2012.

Facebook's operating margin shrunk to 33 percent on a GAAP basis in the fourth quarter, compared to 48 percent a year ago.

Brian Wieser, an analyst at Pivotal Research Group said that "sticker shock" from higher expenses may have caused the initial stock drop.

"It is really expensive to service mobile advertising," he said. "The fact that 23 percent of ad revenues are coming from mobile means their operating expenses are going to be higher."

On the earnings call, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the company made the decision to continue to grow its headcount, which means it will grow headcount faster than revenue. He added that it is not trying to maximize profits this year, but is planning for the long term.

Facebook plans to hire aggressively in 2013 and it will be a year of significant investment, CFO David Ebersman said on the call. As a result, he said they expect expenses to grow by around 50 percent this year.

The company listed Graph Search, a tool it recently released to help users find answers to many kinds of questions, among the products that it wants to invest in aggressively for its long-term business.

But don't expect a Facebook phone anytime soon.

"People keep asking if we're going to build a phone. We're not going to build a phone," Zuckerberg said on the call, adding that it doesn't make sense for Facebook.

Mobile monthly active users of Facebook jumped 57 percent to 680 million as of December 31, 2012. For the first time, the company said its mobile daily active users exceeded web daily active users.

"Mobile revenue was expected to be a little higher," said Aaron Kessler, an analyst at Raymond James. "They were 23 percent of the revenue, we were looking for that to be closer to 25 percent."

Facebook has ramped up its online advertising services in recent months, putting a greater emphasis on mobile ads and introducing capabilities that let marketers target Facebook users based on their Web browsing history.

In recent months, Facebook stock has rebounded, surging more than 75 percent from its all-time lows due in part to increased investor optimism about the company's ability to monetize its mobile user base. Despite the sharp uptick, shares are still trading below the company's IPO price of $38.

Source: http://www.cnbc.com/id/100420811

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Iran's Space Monkey Launch Prompts Missile Technology Concerns

The reports that Iran launched a monkey into space Monday has sparked concern among U.S. officials and missile watchdog groups who cite that the same technology could be used to extend the reach of Iran's military weapons.

According to Iranian news reports, the country's space agency launched a monkey into space and returned it to Earth in a mission using the Iranian-built Kavoshgar 5 rocket. The launch, while unconfirmed by Western monitoring groups, has raised eyebrows because the rockets developed for such missions could also be used to fire weapons across continents.

"We don't have any way to confirm this one way or the other with regard to the primate," U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said during a press briefing in Washington Monday (Jan. 28), though she added that she "saw the pictures of the poor little?monkey preparing to go to space."

"Our concern with Iran's development of space-launch vehicle technologies are obviously well known," Nuland said. "Any space-launch vehicle capable of placing an object in orbit is directly relevant to the development of long-range ballistic missiles." [Photos: Iran in Space: Rockets & Monkeys]

However, some scientist have said that the details so far on the Iranian rocket launch suggest the flight would do little to enhance the Islamic republic's ability to develop a long-range ballistic missile.

Though the Islamic republic has denied military ambitions for its space program, Western critics have long expressed concern over the potential applications of Iran's rockets. Nuland said the launch, if confirmed, would violate a 1929 U.N. Security Council resolution that "prohibits Iran from undertaking any act related to ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons."

The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) said the launch, if it occurred, likely used a Kavoshgar rocket, which would do little to advance Iran's missile capabilities.

Laura Grego, a senior scientist with UCS,?wrote in a blog post?that "some concern has been expressed that Iran will improve its abilities to produce heat shielding (important both for protecting a monkey and a warhead as they return through the atmosphere)." But a biocapsule returning from a 75-mile (120 kilometers) altitude, such as Iran's monkey-carrying Pishgam capsule, would travel through the atmosphere significantly slower than an intercontinental ballistic missile, or ICBM.

According to Grego, "a warhead would require shielding against more than 40 times greater heat load than the Pishgam."

Iran has reported progress in spaceflight technology in recent years. The country sent its first domestically built satellite into space in February 2009 and launched a Kavoshagar-3 rocket in 2010 that delivered a rat, two turtles and a worm into space. Iran also launched?Earth-observing satellites?into orbit in 2011 and 2012.

Space officials in the country have said that a successful launch of a monkey would pave the way for them to send a human into space by 2020 and put an astronaut on the moon by 2025.

Follow SPACE.com on Twitter?@Spacedotcom. We're also on?Facebook?and?Google+.

Copyright 2013 SPACE.com, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/irans-space-monkey-launch-prompts-missile-technology-concerns-192222105.html

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A Tornado Watch is in effect for Owen and surrounding counties until 5:00 a.m. o...

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Source: http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=461309067256568&id=108610189193126

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Major holds of Lore

Lore has gone into ruin the once rulers of lore the Vantgaurd family are no longer in power and an evil war lord has took their place.But the time has come to rise up and defend and set the World back to the way it should be.

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This topic is an Out Of Character part of the roleplay, ?LORE: Story Of Heroes?. Anything posted here will also show up there.

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Forum for completely Out of Character (OOC) discussion, based around whatever is happening In Character (IC). Discuss plans, storylines, and events; Recruit for your roleplaying game, or find a GM for your playergroup.
Ridgefield- Ridgefield possesses a large built-up area, extending over a large, rectangular surface to the shores of Lake Scarlet. Splitting the town vertically and horizontally is a series of large roads. The whole place is western in style, with its buildings being mildly reminiscent of neat Medieval ones.Ridgefield is located in the southeastern coast of Lore

Noratrea - This fairly large city is prosperous. It stands astride a river and is mainly constructed of granite. It is defended by a well-trained city guard, and its most noteworthy feature is the unique architecture and the Warriors guild hall.

Indum - This is a fairly large, overcrowded city built predominantly of marble and defended by a deep and treacherous moat. It is well known for its lavish mausoleum. Most of its revenue comes from fishing.

Urini - This moderately sized city is sparsely populated. It stands in the heart of the kingdom and is mainly constructed of red brick. It is defended by thick walls, and its most noteworthy feature is the immense central fort.

Majesana - This is a large, sprawling town built predominantly of yellow brick and defended by the Saji family. It is well known for its fancifully paved streets. Most of its revenue comes from leather goods and armor.

Agias - This midsized city is not very populous. It stands on a major trade route and is mainly constructed of pale stone. It is defended by a somewhat lackadaisical city guard, and its most noteworthy feature is the underground labyrinth.

Ebar - This modest city is overcrowded. It stands beside a river and is mainly constructed of pale stone. It is defended by elven archers, and its most noteworthy feature is the remarkably beautiful women.

Gallosor - This large town is prosperous. It stands deep in a forest and is mainly constructed of red brick. It is defended by a deep and treacherous moat, and its most noteworthy feature is the lavish mausoleum.

Vantgaurd - the city is one of the biggest in lore, but not its capital. It has the Vantgaurd Castle a stone Stronghold and the land surrounding for miles is all owned and Ruled by the Vantgaurd Lord, its a fast paced city and has one of the armies ine the country. Most noteworthy feature is the catacombs underneath the city housing all of is peoples dead. Vantguard has the bast trained bard in all of lore and its said that a soug from one could calm any beasts who heard the sweet bards songs. people of the towns and villages surrounding the Vantgaurd Castle which is the center of the North Lands all respect and pay fealty to the humble Demon Lord. The northland is a cold and harsh place to live , but the people survive in spite of it all. Vantgaurd is the capital of Lore, it has been that way sence the time of Sephia's rule.

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Integr8 goes global with Fax Unplugged - Bandwidth Blog

The Integr8 Group is re-branding Integr8 Fax to Fax Unplugged as part of the company?s global expansion plans.

Integr8 Fax is a well established and renowned leader in innovative cloud-based technologies around paper to electronic based unified communications, with Fax to email as one of its core offerings.

The company is one of a handful of providers that own and manage their own platform, with a substantial base of resellers that offer fax to email services under their own white labelled brand.

Robert Sussman, joint CEO of Integr8, explains that Fax Unplugged offers precisely the same level of performance, reliability and ease-of-use that customers have come to expect from the company?s fax2email service ? only that it is now being managed under a different brand.

Executive management believe the Fax Unplugged brand has global appeal and also the technical clout to be established more independently and aggressively in the market.

?This will further cement our fax-to-email offering as a corporate service which differentiates itself from casual, non-established email providers in that it is an enterprise grade service. Platforms globally are hosted in carrier grade data centres with full triangulation and redundancy,? Sussman continues.

All communication through the fax servers is recorded via an advanced algorithm which allows for archiving and indexing according to the South African ECT Act or regulatory compliance in the respective country.

Management at Integr8 believe the offering empowers global consumers of solutions that facilitate the transition from paper-based fax to electronic communication.

They also emphasise the opportunity and growing requirement for this level of technology and support within the government sector.

?Whilst it is tricky to quantify the size of the market with total accuracy, there is said to be in the region of almost 13 million email users in South Africa alone. There is definitely growth within the international fax-to-email market and an increase in awareness and interest in this technology on the domestic front,? comments Ashleigh Whitfield, COO, Fax Unplugged.

?This growth is being driven by the advantages this system offers users, including the fact that there is no limit on the number of faxes that can be received, the speed of operation and cost saving due to the automated process that is involved,? she adds.

For more information visit ?www.faxunplugged.com

Source: http://www.bandwidthblog.com/2013/01/29/integr8-goes-global-with-fax-unplugged/

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UPDATE 2-Debt-hobbled Cyprus says has Russian assurances on aid

Wed Jan 30, 2013 9:27am EST

* Cypriot president says Russia can "save" island

* Island hobbled by exposure to debt-wracked Greece

* Russia's Putin quoted as saying stands ready to assist

By Michele Kambas

NICOSIA, Jan 30 (Reuters) - Debt-hobbled Cyprus limped closer to an international financial bailout on Wednesday, saying it had won Russian assurances that Moscow would join in international efforts to salvage the island's finances.

The Mediterranean nation, one of the euro zone's smallest economies, applied for aid from the European Union and the International Monetary Fund last June.

Talks are complicated by the sheer size of the bailout, which could equal the 17.5 billion euro size of the Cypriot economy, and German misgivings about the island's commitment to financial transparency because of its close ties with Russia.

Cyprus, shut out of financial markets for almost two years, got a 2.5 billion euro bilateral loan from Moscow in late 2011.

Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the situation with Cypriot President Demetris Christofias on Tuesday, a statement from Cyprus's presidency said.

"President Putin assured me that the Russian Federation is ready to contribute with the European Union in the financing of Cyprus," the statement quoted Christofias telling Cypriot reporters during a visit to Belgrade.

"I strongly believe that this assistance can save us," Christofias said.

It is not clear what form any Russian assistance might take. Cyprus has already asked for a five-year extension in repaying its 2.5 billion euro loan to Moscow, to 2021 from an initial 2016.

Last week, European Economic and Monetary Affairs Commissioner Olli Rehn told Reuters he believed it was only fair Russia make a contribution to the bailout effort because of the significant Russian business presence on the island.

Christofias, the EU's only Communist head of state and a fluent Russian speaker, said he spoke to Putin by phone on Tuesday evening. A government source said Putin made the call.

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev was quoted as saying on Monday that Russia could provide support to Cyprus under certain conditions but the island itself and the European Union would have to take the biggest share in a potential bailout.

Cyprus has been toiling under financial stress since its two largest banks sought state support after losses on an EU-sanctioned writedown on privately-held Greek sovereign debt.

Shut out of markets, it has been increasingly relying on high-yield short-term borrowing.

Unless a bailout were settled soon, the island could start causing wider problems, according to former euro group Chairman Jean-Claude Juncker.

"If we don't definitively solve the problem case of Cyprus, there is a contagion risk even from this very small national economy," Juncker was quoted as telling Austria's Kleine Zeitung in an interview published on Wednesday.

Source: http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/mergersNews/~3/UpuUgr2dBLI/cyprus-russia-idUSL5N0AZ53A20130130

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Blackberry Z10 UK pricing revealed: all devices 4G-ready, free on ?36 per-month contracts

Liked what you saw? Even happier then, as a Brit, you'll likely be getting your hands on it months before your US cousins. UK networks have started to announce availability for the handset, with EE, O2, Three and Vodafone already confirmed to be stocking the Z10. Retailers that will also be selling the new BB10 hardware in the British Isles include Carphone Warehouse and Phones 4U.

Retailer Phones 4U will launch both color options (exclusively, at least initially) although it hasn't ventured a contract-free price just yet. The Carphone Warehouse, meanwhile will be offering the Z10 free on contracts of £36 per month on the major networks.

Vodafone will offer the Z10 for £29 on the £42 a month Red Data plan, including unlimited calls and texts as well as 2GB of internet. It'll be free on the £47 a month variant of plan, or cost £69 one-of payment on the £37 per month plan. Three UK hasn't revealed any details beyond that it'll be stocking the handset.

While all Z10 devices sold will be ready for 4G, according the Waterloo crew, the BlackBerry Z10 will be available to utilize EE's existing 4G service immediately. The price? It'll be £50 on a £41 per-month 24 month package, with 1GB of mobile data, as well as unlimited UK calls and texts. No word just yet on whether Orange and T-Mobile will be offering cheaper bundles later. We'll update here when we hear more pricing details from the other players.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, RIM

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/30/blackberry-z10-uk-pricing/

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Sigma unveils three new MFT and Sony E-Mount lenses

Despite the raves that recent micro four-thirds and Sony E-Mount cameras have received of late, there's still a dearth of lenses for the fledgeling systems compared to their more entrenched counterparts. Luckily, Sigma's just added to the pool of autofocus-equipped models for each system: updated 19mm F2.8 DN and 30mm F2.8 DN models along with an all-new 60mm F2.8 DN telephoto lens. Each Japan-made model has a "telecentric" optical design to minimize CMOS color issues, a metal exterior with silver or black color options, and a linear autofocus motor that Sigma claims is quiet enough to use for video. Meanwhile, the imaging outfit also announced an updated 30mm, F1.4 DC HSM model for Canon APS-C, Nikon DX and its own Sigma mount. All that's great news, though we're still waiting for an AF/electronic F1.4 or faster lens for E-Mount (there's only one on MFT as well) -- though this might tide us over, in the meantime. See the PR after the break for more info.

Show full PR text

Sigma Corporation announces four new lenses at CP+ Camera and Photo Imaging Show 2013
January 29, 2013

Sigma Corporation announces four new lenses at CP+ Camera and Photo Imaging Show 2013

APS-C format, E-Mount and Micro Four Thirds lenses feature sleek new 'Art' product line design

YOKOHAMA, Japan - Jan. 29, 2013-Sigma Corporation of America a leading researcher, developer, manufacturer and service provider of some of the world's most impressive lines of lenses, cameras and flashes, today announced the release of four new lenses for the ART product line, including three lenses for mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras and one lens for DSLR cameras with APS-C size sensors. This announcement comes at the start of the CP+ Camera and Photo Imaging Show 2013 this week in Yokohama, Japan.

The new and updated Sigma lenses include the 30mm F1.4 DC HSM, which will be available in Sigma, Canon and Nikon mounts, and the 30mm F2.8 DN, 19mm F2.8 DN and 60mm F2.8 DN lenses, which are available for both Micro Four Thirds and Sony E-Mount camera systems. Pricing and availability on all of these lenses has yet to be announced.

The 60mm F2.8 DN lens is entirely new to the Sigma lineup, while the 30mm F1.4 DC HSM and the 30mm F2.8 DN and 19mm F2.8 DN lenses are existing focal lengths that have been redesigned with enhanced optical performance and included as part of Sigma's new Global Vision category restructuring. All three DN lenses incorporate telecentric optical designs and a linear, auto focusing motor that ensures accurate and quiet focusing for video recording. They also boast metal exteriors and a simply shaped focus ring, with varying textures to distinguish each part of the lens. In addition, DN users can choose between a black or silver finish to match their favorite equipment.

"We're really proud of the super sharp lenses we've produced in the past year and these new Art lenses will continue to impress our fans and critics alike. They're ideal for the landscape, portrait, still-life, close-up and casual photographer who values creative, dramatic outcomes above compactness and multifunction," said Mark Amir-Hamzeh, president of Sigma Corporation of America. "The lenses are entirely made in Japan and they boast the new product line's sleek design and enhanced quality control. We're quite proud of these changes - and additions - to our lens lineup; they're further evidence of Sigma's forethought in this fast-moving industry."

Here are more details on these new lenses from Sigma:

· 30mm F1.4 DC HSM Sigma's new USB Dock, which will enable firmware updates and focusing adjustments, is expected to be available in coming months.- Sigma pioneered the large-aperture, APS-C format, standard lens category with its 30mm F1.4 lens in 2005. With new optical configurations of nine elements in eight groups, as well as rounded aperture blades, this updated lens delivers pleasing sharpness and a beautiful bokeh background. Its angle of view is equivalent to 45mm on a 35mm camera (which is similar to that of human vision), its minimum focusing distance is 11.8 inches and its maximum magnification ratio is 1:6.8. The lens' optimized power distribution helps to minimize field curvature, prevent a loss of image quality at the edges of photographs and produce outstanding image quality. Its double-aspheric lens minimizes spherical distortion, astigmatism and coma, and its rear focus system prevents focus-dependent variation in aberration. Together, the new optimized auto focus (AF) algorithm and rear focusing system ensure smooth and accurate focusing. The new 30mm F1.4 is also compatible with Sigma's new USB Dock, which will enable firmware updates and focusing adjustments, is expected to be available in coming months.

· 60mm F2.8 DN- Featuring the natural perspective of mid-range telephoto lenses, together with a shallow depth of field, this lens allows the photographer to capture a single part of a subject with great bokeh effects. It has an angle of view equivalent to 120mm on the Micro Four Thirds system and 90mm on the E-mount system (35mm equivalent focal length). The minimum focusing distance is 19.7 inches; the maximum magnification is 1:7.2. This lens also contains Special Low Dispersion (SLD) glass, which helps minimize axial and transverse chromatic aberration.

· Sigma 19mm F2.8 DN - This high-performance, wide-angle telephoto lens has an angle of view equivalent to 38mm on the Micro Four Thirds system and 28.5mm on the E-mount system (35mm equivalent focal length). As a wide-angle lens with excellent mobility, it is ideal for studio photography, architecture and starry skies. Its minimum focusing distance is 7.9 inches and its maximum magnification is 1:7.4.

· Sigma 30mm F2.8 DN - This high-performance, standard telephoto lens has an angle of view equivalent to 60mm on the Micro Four Thirds system and 45mm on the E-mount system (35mm equivalent focal length). This lens, which is perfect for casual and formal portraiture, documentary photography, travelogues and everyday shooting, includes a double-sided aspherical lens that enhances its optical performance. Its minimum focusing distance of 11.8 inches and its maximum magnification is 1:8.1.

For information about Sigma Corporation of America, visit www.sigmaphoto.com. For the full press releases for each of these new lenses, visit Sigma's news section at www.sigmaphoto.com/sigma-news.

About Sigma Corporation
For more than 50 years, Sigma Corporation's expertise and innovation has driven the company's core philosophy of "knowledge, plus experience, plus imagination,"with anemphasis on producing high-quality, high-performance photographic technology. This family-owned organization is the largest, independent SLR lens manufacturer in the world, producing more than more than 45 lenses that are compatible with most manufacturers, including Sigma, Canon, Sony, Nikon, Olympus, Panasonic and Pentax. Sigma Corporation also produces digital SLR cameras and high-definition digital compact cameras. The company is headquartered in Japan, with offices strategically located throughout Europe, Asia and North America. For information, please visit www.sigmaphoto.com.

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Senate nears vote on $50.5B bill for Sandy victims

FILE - In this Jan. 3, 2013 photo, a beach front home that was severely damaged by Superstorm Sandy rests in the sand in Bay Head, N.J. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

FILE - In this Jan. 3, 2013 photo, a beach front home that was severely damaged by Superstorm Sandy rests in the sand in Bay Head, N.J. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Three months after Superstorm Sandy devastated parts of the densely populated Northeast, the Senate is nearing a vote on a $50.5 billion emergency relief bill to help storm victims recover.

Some conservatives are complaining the bill will add to the nation's debt. But Northeast lawmakers in both parties are optimistic they have the 60 votes need to pass the bill Monday evening and send it to President Barack Obama for his signature. The House passed the measure two weeks ago.

At least $16 billion would flow to state and local governments through grants from the Housing and Urban Development Department

Sandy roared up the East Coast Oct. 29 and was blamed for 140 deaths and billions of dollars in property damage. Hardest hit were New York and New Jersey.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2013-01-28-Superstorm%20Aid/id-1dbeddea84194c62a9f99a33daaba6d9

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RIM unveils lower BlackBerry World price tiers, starts with the Euro, British Pound

BlackBerry-toting penny-pinchers have cause to rejoice, as RIM is introducing lower price tiers in BlackBerry World, starting with the British Pound and Euro. New price tags have yet to take hold across the board, but the the UK will see their lowest level fall from £1.00 to £0.75. When it comes to the Euro, prices will vary by country, and we spotted apps as low as €0.75 on Spain's version of the shop. According to RIM, the tweak takes currency exchange rates and VAT requirements into account, and is an effort to gain a competitive edge and catch the eyes of consumers. If you're hankering to save coin in other countries, more currencies are set to follow suit shortly after this round of changes take effect. RIM says the price adjustment is automatic, but developers who yearn to change their asking prices can sort things out at BlackBerry World's vendor portal.

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Second set of NATO Patriot missiles in Turkey go active

ANKARA (Reuters) - A second pair of Patriot missile batteries being sent by NATO countries to defend Turkey against possible attack from Syria are now operational, a German security official said on Tuesday.

The United States, Germany and the Netherlands each committed to sending two batteries and up to 400 soldiers to operate them after Ankara asked for help to bolster its air defenses against possible missile attack from Syria.

The frontier has become a flashpoint in the 22-month insurgency against President Bashar al-Assad, with Syrian government shells frequently landing inside Turkish territory, drawing a response in kind from Ankara's military.

The two German batteries, which have been deployed around the Turkish city of Kahramanmaras some 100 km (60 miles) from the Syrian border, were in position and ready to use as of late Monday, the German security official said.

The first pair of batteries, sent by the Netherlands, went operational on Saturday around the city of Adana, southwest of Kahramanmaras. The final U.S. Patriots are expected to arrive in Turkey on Wednesday and go active in the coming days.

The batteries are being stationed around three southeastern Turkish cities and NATO says they will protect 3.5 million Turks from missile attack. Patriots are capable of shooting down hostile missiles in mid-air.

Tensions have increased in recent weeks after NATO said it had detected launches of short-range ballistic missiles inside Syria, several of which have landed close to the Turkish border. Turkey has scrambled warplanes along the frontier, fanning fears the war could spread and further destabilize the region.

Syria has called the deployment of the batteries "provocative" while Iran and Russia, which have supported Syria throughout the uprising, have criticized NATO's decision, saying the Patriots would intensify the conflict.

Turkey and NATO have strongly denied the Patriot missiles are a precursor to a no-fly zone that Syrian rebels have been requesting to help them hold territory against a government with overwhelming firepower from the air.

All six Patriot batteries will be connected directly to allied air command in Ramstein, Germany.

(Reporting by Sabine Siebold in Berlin; Writing by Jonathon Burch; Editing by Sonya Hepinstall)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/second-set-nato-patriot-missiles-turkey-active-144942610.html

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Video: Months after Sandy, ?golden girls? reunite

>>> package. and almost three months after that devastating storm, the stories of loss and hardship are still being told. but there is also this story, the reunion of a group of women whose lives were up-ended by sandy and how they were brought back together. here's nbc's michelle franzen .

>> reporter: annie hezlin makes tea in her temporary apartment in brooklyn and sorts through some of her photos, some some of the only possessions she has left after losing her breezy point home in superstorm sandy.

>> with he an imagined to survive and we are very grateful for that and that is the thing we have to remember, that lives are more important than things.

>> reporter: the storm devastated the close-knit community and forced residents to relocate. including members of annie 's social group , the golden age club. the women used to meet every tuesday at st. thomas more church, still under repair from flood damage . this weekend, annie and dozens of golden age members boarded a bus.

>> hi, rose.

>> reporter: first time they were able to see each other in three months.

>> wonderful reunion. it's greet see every ebb and everybody looks good.

>> reporter: their destination, manhattan's nightingale been aford, an all- girls school , where the women prin is righted to share their stories, an exchange between generations.

>> and this one house slipped with the wind right over the walk and into the other house.

>> reporter: that included emotional stories of survival.

>> but the water was coming down from the walls. it was coming into the windows.

>> reporter: lorraine larson says talking with students and reuniting with her friends helped her realize she's not alone.

>> all in the same boat, we're all hurting. we all are longing to be back home.

>> reporter: students say the gathering is a reminder of the challenges sandy victims still face.

>> talking to them, we found out that they still are suffering a lot of the loss.

>> reporter: despite their loss, these golden girls are still singing. i'm

Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/nightly-news/50609142/

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Endangered baby pygmy elephant found clinging to dead mother

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) ? Ten endangered Borneo pygmy elephants have been found dead in a Malaysian forest under mysterious circumstances, and wildlife officials said Tuesday that they probably were poisoned.

Carcasses of the baby-faced elephants were found near each other over the past three weeks at the Gunung Rara Forest Reserve, said Laurentius Ambu, director of the wildlife department in Malaysia's Sabah state on Borneo island.

In one case, officers rescued a 3-month-old calf that was trying to wake its dead mother.

Poisoning appeared to be the likely cause, but officials have not determined whether it was intentional, said Sabah environmental minister Masidi Manjun. Though some elephants have been killed for their tusks on Sabah in past years, there was no sign that these animals had been poached.

"This is a very sad day for conservation and Sabah. The death of these majestic and severely endangered Bornean elephants is a great loss to the state," Masidi said in a statement. "If indeed these poor elephants were maliciously poisoned, I would personally make sure that the culprits would be brought to justice and pay for their crime."

The WWF wildlife group estimates that fewer than 1,500 Borneo pygmy elephants exist. They live mainly in Sabah and grow to about eight feet tall, a foot or two shorter than mainland Asian elephants. Known for their babyish faces, large ears and long tails, pygmy elephants were found to be a distinct subspecies only in 2003, after DNA testing.

Their numbers have stabilized in recent years amid conservation efforts to protect their jungle habitats from being torn down for plantations and development projects.

The elephants found dead this month were believed to be from the same family group and ranged in age from 4 to 20 years, said Sen Nathan, the wildlife department's senior veterinarian. Seven were female and three were male, he said.

Post-mortems showed they suffered severe hemorrhages and ulcers in their gastrointestinal tracts. None had gunshot injuries.

"We highly suspect that it might be some form of acute poisoning from something that they had eaten, but we are still waiting for the laboratory results," Nathan said.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/10-dead-borneo-pygmy-elephants-feared-poisoned-054810375.html

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Chris Brown investigated for possible assault of Frank Ocean

Chris Brown (Getty Images)Frank Ocean (Getty Images)

Chris Brown's next hot date could be with a judge.

The controversial singer is being investigated for a possible assault in West Hollywood, the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department confirms. The incident stemmed from an argument with fellow singer Frank Ocean over a parking spot outside a recording studio.

Police responded to a call stating that six men were fighting outside the Westlake Recording Studio on Sunday. While the scene was clear when police arrived, the investigation determined that "the altercation allegedly led to Chris Brown punching the victim," the department said in a statement released Monday.

While the victim's name wasn't released by police, Ocean says he was injured by Brown, 23. "Got jumped by Chris and a couple guys," the "Thinkin Bout You" singer, 25, tweeted on Sunday night. While he made light of the situation with a "lol," Ocean ? who is up for six Grammys on February 10 ? noted, "Cut my finger now I can't play w two hands at the grammys."

?

An unnamed source told TMZ that as Brown was exiting parking lot after listening to a new track by an artist he represents, Ocean and his pals blocked the exit. "This is my studio, this is my parking spot," Ocean, who came out as a gay man in July, reportedly said to Brown. When Brown went to shake Ocean's hand, a fight broke out.

Brown and Ocean have a history of drama. In 2011, they had a war of words over Twitter when Ocean thought Brown insulted his singing abilities.

Brown posted this photo -- showing him working in the studio -- on Monday. (Instagram)Brown seemed to address the new drama with Ocean in a post on Instagram that went up Monday morning. "Working on my album. Not working on negativity," he wrote along with a photo showing him in the studio the day before. "Focus on feeding ya family. Bulls--t will forever be in the shadows."

Of course, talk of Brown allegedly assaulting a singer prior to the Grammys will make many people flashback to his violent attack of his on-again girlfriend Rihanna following a pre-Grammys party in 2009. He later pled guilty to felony assault charges.

Brown is still on supervised probation for the Rihanna assault, so he could face a probation violation if he is convicted of this new charge. He?s already on thin ice with the judge, who gave him a talking to in November after he failed a mandatory drug test.

This isn?t the only assault drama Brown has been involved with. In June, he was injured in a fight with hip-hop rival Drake and their entourages at a New York City nightclub. Brown fled the scene before police arrived during that incident as well. Ultimately, there was not enough evidence to criminally charge either star.

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Ice, snow threaten messy commute across Northeast

By Alastair Jamieson, Staff writer, NBC News

A winter storm that brought ice and travel disruption to the Midwest will move across the Northeast Monday, threatening a messy commute for millions.

A mixture of freezing rain and sleet is expected along the I-95 corridor with snow in some areas, prompting some schools and employers to announce a later start to the working week.

It follows a weekend of disruption in the Midwest, with many flights in and out of Chicago, Minneapolis and St. Louis being grounded by icy runways on Sunday, according to Reuters.

Hundreds of churches across Iowa called off Sunday services as sidewalks were turned to sheets of ice by the storm that covered the region in about a half-inch of ice, Reuters said.

That system will bring ice and snow from New England to Virginia and in northern Michigan on Monday, and rain from southern Michigan to the lower Mississippi Valley, according to The Weather Channel:

Snowfall of up to 3 inches is possible from central and northern New York through central and northern New England. It will change to sleet and freezing rain in southern New York, northeastern Pennsylvania and northern New Jersey.

Morning sleet and freezing rain becomes afternoon rain in western Virginia, central and southeastern Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey, Maryland and Delaware.

In New York City, snow should arrive in the late morning,?NBCNewYork.com reported. A winter weather advisory will be in effect north and west of the city Monday morning into Tuesday morning. As Monday wears on, warm air is expected to cause the snow to change over to rain along the coast by the afternoon. Major accumulations are not likely.?

A winter weather advisory will be in effect across the Washington, D.C., area between 5 a.m. and 10 a.m. ET Monday, NBCWashington.com reported.

School districts - including the District of Columbia - announced late openings and several major employers allowed employees to come in late, NBCWashington.com added. The federal government will open at noon.

Icy weather across parts of the Midwest affected roads and airports, particularly at O'Hare in Chicago, where nearly 200 flights were canceled. The Weather Channel's Mike Seidel reports.

Philadelphia is braced for light snow during the morning commute and ice during the evening rush, NBC10.com reported. "Temperatures will remain below freezing north and west of I-95 so significant ice or sleet accumulation is possible there during the day,? it warned.

Meanwhile, a storm bringing rain to the southwest Monday was expected to move into the southern Plains and southern half of the Mississippi Valley on Tuesday.

Damaging wind gusts, hail and tornadoes are possible from eastern Oklahoma and northeast Texas to central and southern Illinois, western Kentucky, western Tennessee, northwest Mississippi and northern Louisiana Tuesday.

Weather.com, Reuters, NBCNewYork.com, NBC10.com and NBCWashington.com contributed to this report.

Source: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/01/28/16733866-ice-snow-threaten-monday-commute-across-northeast?lite

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Studying possible ways of solving the crisis in the care function

Public release date: 28-Jan-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Aitziber Lasa
a.lasa@elhuyar.com
34-943-363-040
Elhuyar Fundazioa

The situation and future of the care of elderly people in Gipuzkoa

This press release is available in Spanish.

In today's society, there is a significant imbalance in the function of the care of the elderly. While the population ages more and more, the social mechanisms set up to perform the care function of the elderly are unable to meet this demand. Today, the mechanisms correspond to four spheres: the family, the welfare state, the market of private institutions, and the so-called community sphere.

"Why has this imbalance come about?" As Etxezarreta explains, "at a given moment, an option was made in favour of the welfare state to undertake the care of the elderly and today, with the crisis, we can see that these services have not been developed and that the care is reverting to the family sphere."

The starting point of this thesis is the crisis in the care function. Etxezarreta has analysed two spheres. Firstly, the public services that exist to care for the elderly; considering the social services as a system, he has studied what resources are devoted to this purpose. Secondly, he has analysed the community sphere, which Etxezarreta calls the social economy; "sometimes it is called the tertiary sector, but I prefer to define this sphere through the concept of social economy, because I have set out to study what space is taken up by the social economy in these services."

The social services are geared towards four types of recipients: the elderly, people with disabilities, people in a situation of social exclusion, and finally, children and their families. "There is no doubt that the most important group is the one comprising the elderly. This is what has led me to choose this group for my thesis. In theory the social trends of this group can be extrapolated to the whole sector."

The situation in Gipuzkoa

Etxezarreta's thesis has focused on the situation in Gipuzkoa. "The social services are governed by a decentralised system and are run by the provincial councils, and that is why different policies have been applied in Bizkaia, Gipuzkoa and Araba-Alava. I decided to concentrate on Gipuzkoa, because this province has a model of agreement with the tertiary sector. And this approach coincides with the approach of my thesis which maintains that the public sector has used agents from the tertiary sector and from the social economy to offer these services."

Based on data

In his thesis, Etxezarreta conducted an empirical analysis. Using statistics provided by EUSTAT (Basque Institute for Statistics) he studied firstly what quantitative importance the tertiary sector (the social economy, in Etxezarreta's words) has within the private and public agents as a whole. EUSTAT produces statistics on the suppliers of social services and analyses which are capitalist private ones, which are public, and which belong to the tertiary sector. In the end, it is a study of the size of the social economy.

Etxezarreta also studied the associations, co-operatives and foundations linked to the social economy. There is no unified register in this sphere so he gathered data on the number of organisations offering services geared towards the elderly. As Etxezarreta himself puts it, he drew up "a kind of map on the social economy". He also conducted a survey among all these organisations in order to assess the system. Finally, he did a qualitative analysis, and for this purpose had in-depth interviews with a group of 16 experts in the sector. The thesis includes the transcription of these conversations.

This thesis has enabled him to study the possibilities offered by the social economy in the future design of the social services. These possibilities can be studied to anticipate from a more political perspective how the sector will develop. "The healthcare system was designed from a public perspective. Education, by contrast, has been built on a basis of a public network and a subsidised network. And the questions I raise are these: How is the social services sector going to be structured, as it is a sector that has not yet been developed? And is it feasible for the future social services to be structured as a subsidized public system?"

###

About the author

Enekoitz Etxezarreta (Donostia-San Sebastian, 1981). He was awarded a degree in Economics by the Sarriko Faculty of Business Administration in Bilbao. He also has a degree in Social and Cultural Anthropology from the Faculty of Philosophy and Education in Donostia-San Sebastian. He wrote up his thesis at Sarriko in the ambit of economics under the supervision of Prof. Baleren Bakaikoa and Dr. Mikel Zurbano, and currently works at the University School of Business Administration in Vitoria-Gasteiz.

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Public release date: 28-Jan-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Aitziber Lasa
a.lasa@elhuyar.com
34-943-363-040
Elhuyar Fundazioa

The situation and future of the care of elderly people in Gipuzkoa

This press release is available in Spanish.

In today's society, there is a significant imbalance in the function of the care of the elderly. While the population ages more and more, the social mechanisms set up to perform the care function of the elderly are unable to meet this demand. Today, the mechanisms correspond to four spheres: the family, the welfare state, the market of private institutions, and the so-called community sphere.

"Why has this imbalance come about?" As Etxezarreta explains, "at a given moment, an option was made in favour of the welfare state to undertake the care of the elderly and today, with the crisis, we can see that these services have not been developed and that the care is reverting to the family sphere."

The starting point of this thesis is the crisis in the care function. Etxezarreta has analysed two spheres. Firstly, the public services that exist to care for the elderly; considering the social services as a system, he has studied what resources are devoted to this purpose. Secondly, he has analysed the community sphere, which Etxezarreta calls the social economy; "sometimes it is called the tertiary sector, but I prefer to define this sphere through the concept of social economy, because I have set out to study what space is taken up by the social economy in these services."

The social services are geared towards four types of recipients: the elderly, people with disabilities, people in a situation of social exclusion, and finally, children and their families. "There is no doubt that the most important group is the one comprising the elderly. This is what has led me to choose this group for my thesis. In theory the social trends of this group can be extrapolated to the whole sector."

The situation in Gipuzkoa

Etxezarreta's thesis has focused on the situation in Gipuzkoa. "The social services are governed by a decentralised system and are run by the provincial councils, and that is why different policies have been applied in Bizkaia, Gipuzkoa and Araba-Alava. I decided to concentrate on Gipuzkoa, because this province has a model of agreement with the tertiary sector. And this approach coincides with the approach of my thesis which maintains that the public sector has used agents from the tertiary sector and from the social economy to offer these services."

Based on data

In his thesis, Etxezarreta conducted an empirical analysis. Using statistics provided by EUSTAT (Basque Institute for Statistics) he studied firstly what quantitative importance the tertiary sector (the social economy, in Etxezarreta's words) has within the private and public agents as a whole. EUSTAT produces statistics on the suppliers of social services and analyses which are capitalist private ones, which are public, and which belong to the tertiary sector. In the end, it is a study of the size of the social economy.

Etxezarreta also studied the associations, co-operatives and foundations linked to the social economy. There is no unified register in this sphere so he gathered data on the number of organisations offering services geared towards the elderly. As Etxezarreta himself puts it, he drew up "a kind of map on the social economy". He also conducted a survey among all these organisations in order to assess the system. Finally, he did a qualitative analysis, and for this purpose had in-depth interviews with a group of 16 experts in the sector. The thesis includes the transcription of these conversations.

This thesis has enabled him to study the possibilities offered by the social economy in the future design of the social services. These possibilities can be studied to anticipate from a more political perspective how the sector will develop. "The healthcare system was designed from a public perspective. Education, by contrast, has been built on a basis of a public network and a subsidised network. And the questions I raise are these: How is the social services sector going to be structured, as it is a sector that has not yet been developed? And is it feasible for the future social services to be structured as a subsidized public system?"

###

About the author

Enekoitz Etxezarreta (Donostia-San Sebastian, 1981). He was awarded a degree in Economics by the Sarriko Faculty of Business Administration in Bilbao. He also has a degree in Social and Cultural Anthropology from the Faculty of Philosophy and Education in Donostia-San Sebastian. He wrote up his thesis at Sarriko in the ambit of economics under the supervision of Prof. Baleren Bakaikoa and Dr. Mikel Zurbano, and currently works at the University School of Business Administration in Vitoria-Gasteiz.

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-01/ef-spw012813.php

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